October
by SophiaOfSlytherin
Summary: Tentative title. As the sun sets on Nymphadora Tonks, the world becomes less and less comprehensible. Set in OOTP. Foreshadowing here and there. One-Shot


She felt like she was being watched.

It was a mid-October evening, the sky orange and pink as the sun danced off into the distance. A chilled wind whipped the leaves through the air, and the same breeze threw her pink hair into her face, in front of her eyes. With a sigh, Nymphadora-good luck to anyone who tried to call her such-reached up and flicked the stray strands away, but the wind fought to regain its position, and she eventually gave up. Upon seeing that she was not in the mood, the wind seemed to subside, her hair slipping out of her face as if the wind cared.

She spied a picnic table and seated herself atop it, one leg extended and hanging down, the other perched on the table's bench. Her eyes, currently the same carroty shade as the sky, scanned around, squinting for preciseness in the darker areas. There was something-or someone-trailing her, and she knew it. Auror school had not been for nothing. The real question was why.

Considering it was a Saturday, she was surprised there were no children playing in the park. True, the sun was setting, but that time indicated nothing, really. She could recall clearly playing after dark as long as her parents were with her.

Her childhood home-life had been nice: not great, but nice. Admittedly she might have enjoyed a few brothers or sisters, but then again, there was no way she wanted as many as the Weasley family. Still, having a sibling or two might have been nice. Even, however, without child company, Tonks had always been happy. Her parents loved her, and it was all nice.

Something rustled in the bushes, and she wasn't sure if it was the something following her or the wind that was once again brewing. In any case, she cautiously eyed the bushes, and, deciding it was growing less and less intelligent to stay in one place, she stood and continued walking. Just as before, she had no true destination, but she wanted to stroll in the October sun before it disappeared for the night.

It was beginning to set now, and with its escaping color was going the light. Her eyes emptied of color with the blackening sky. The process, however, was slow, and if one was to stare at her, one would not have noticed the change of eye color for a good while, just as with the sky.

The young Auror walked in silence, the sense of the presence pursuing her still strong. It was an instinct that compelled her to turn abruptly. This walk had not gone as she had planned. Tonks had just wanted an escape, an opportunity to get away from all of the work and mental strain of the Order meetings without having to go home and dwell upon her thoughts.

The chances of that happening, however, faded away as the sun sank away completely, leaving the world black except for the silver light provided by the moon. It was a crescent, waxing; soon it would be full. Nymphadora exhaled loudly, her fruitless endeavor proved to be so. As her ever-changing eyes stared upwardly, he was the only thing on her mind.

She stopped walking and sat upon the grass, subliminally urged to do so by the glowing moon. She was enticed by it, hypnotized, unable to leave even if she had wanted to. Merlin, she was falling; she could feel herself being uprooted.

That wasn't supposed to happen, not to her. Tonks was fine with herself, fine with being alone. She was still young, and she had time. Fate seemed to have other plans, however. As of late, she'd been thinking about him a lot. Not yet was she brave enough to even consider the possibility of returned affection-or a lack thereof. It was only _her_ situation, her secret.

She was fighting it. The young woman knew it was not supposed to be, that it would be weird, especially for her cousin, his best friend. She didn't want to put either of them through that ugly cloud of awkward. It wouldn't have been fair, especially if something was to go sour. Then what? The two would possibly be pitted against each other. She couldn't bear the thought of it.

And thus she walked, resisting the moon and its secret meanings. Night had fallen long ago, and it was unsafe, even for a skilled young Auror such as herself. You-Know-Who was at large again, and who knew what kind of dangerous fiends he had on his side this time, just waiting to pick off someone loyal to the Order?

She listened for foot steps, but all that she heard were her own, her black boots clanking against the dirt path she now took. There was a rustle of leaves, and she hastily drew her wand, aiming it at the tree branch overhanging her, but a loud _Whoo! _informed her that it was nothing threatening, just a mere owl. It looked like a wild one, and she smiled at it, her eyes changing to match its own. Startled by this, the bird flapped its wing and escaped the girl with morphing eyes.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she watched the owl retreat. She remembered when her peers had been that way, her Hogwarts days filled with absconding children's backsides. No one understood her; they labeled her a freak from first year until nearly graduation. So what that she could change her appearance? They, as her mother had reaffirmed her, were merely jealous of her natural magic ability. She didn't need Polyjuice Potion or even a wand!

A second tree branch crackled, but this time, she didn't bother pull her wand. It was probably just another owl or a friendly mammal. However, a few moments of constant snapping and cracking passed, and she slowed her walk, eventually coming to a stop. Reticent and slightly fearful, Nymphadora turned around just as the thing in tree sprang upon her.

She had been correct about a mammal, but it was _not _known for its friendly nature.

The creature was hairy, and as it was on top of her, as briefly as it was, all she could see was a mess of black, curly, and surprisingly long hair. As it pulled upright, its eyes met hers, and she felt herself physically freeze up. Despite that, she was somehow standing again. Had she been pulled up?

What she was seeing was impossible. Was she going mad? She had to be. Or perhaps she fell asleep on the grass, or even on the picnic table before that. Perhaps this was all a dream. Yes, it had to be that. She couldn't be bonkers. Not like her, not like that which she saw before her.

Not like Bellatrix.

She abhorred her completely. She hated her not only for the rational things like what she had done to the Longbottoms or the pain she had generated to rain down upon all of the innocent people she touched. No, Tonks hated her for small things like having the same eyes as her mother, the same facial structure. Once upon a time they'd had the same hair, minus a shade or two difference. Bellatrix's was wild now with insanity and imprisonment, but once upon a time it been the friendly style that matched Andromeda's.

Her eyes, so like her sister's and yet so not, stared intently at Tonks, and as if she was a dinosaur, she imagined that if she stood completely still, those eyes would not see her. This plan was both irrational and incorrect, however.

The crazy convict took a step towards her, and instinctively, she stepped away. After having literally fallen on her already, she didn't want that woman anywhere near her. Bellatrix raised her wand, the tip of it touching her niece's forehead, breathing loudly as she yielded no words. The younger cringed, her eyes shut as she anticipated the worst.

_So this is it. This is the end. _

Bellatrix mumbled something that shocked her. Despite the insane smile she had observed before shutting her eyes, Tonks had not been expecting this. What was said was not an incantation. In fact, it sounded more like… an apology.

Suddenly she did not feel the pressure of the wand against her skin anymore. Her eyelids snapped open, and where Bellatrix had stood was nothing but the wind, almost visible. Despite not seeing her, she did hear the woman, the haunting laugh riding on the breeze, giving her chills. What had just happened?

It felt too real to be a dream. She had _physically felt _her aunt spring upon her from the tree, felt the wand against her forehead. She had heard her breathing! Now she was missing, no crack of Apparation to be an indication. The leaves in the tree were not even parted where she had leapt through. There was nothing, as if she had never been.

A pale hand ran through her pink hair as its twin rested at their owner's hip. What had happened? She didn't know, and she didn't think she would ever figure it out. Perhaps it was a dream, but if so, it was the worst dream she'd ever had. Pulling out and gripping her wand tightly, she headed home. This evening had been quite enough of an adventure already, much more than she bargained for.

Considering she had wanted to forgive her current worries, her plight was rather successful. She was so shaken that she forgot where she lived for a moment or two.

Three months later, a massive escape from Azkaban shocked the wizarding communities. Bellatrix was one of the escapees. Tonks vomited upon receiving the news. She was afraid, but not intending on stopping. The Order would fight the Death Eaters, and should, one day, she be the one to come face-to-face with that monster of a woman, that disgrace of an aunt, she would destroy her. Of that, she was certain.


End file.
